Meyerke mayn zun
Rabbi Levi Itschak of Berdichev
[See lecture: Mothers and Fathers, which includes
a parody of this song: Nokhemke, mayn zun]
| - Meyerke, mayn zun (x3) | - Meyerke, my son, |
| Tsi veystu ver du bist? (x2) | Do you know who you are? |
| - Hineni he'ani mima'as, tatenyu. (x3) | - "Here I am, impoverished of deeds", Father |
| - Meyerke, mayn zun (x3) | - Meyerke, my son (x3) |
| Tsi veystu far vemen du shteyst? (x2) | Do you know Whom you stand before? |
| - Lifnei melech mal'chei ham'lachim, tatenyu. | - "Before the King, King of Kings", Father. |
| - Meyerke, mayn zun (x3) | - Meyerke, my son (x3) |
| Vos vilstu oysbetn bay im? (x2) | What do you wish to ask of Him? (x2) |
| - Banai chayai mezoni *, tatenyu. | - "My children, my life, my sustenance * ", Father. |
| - Meyerke, mayn zun (x3) | - Meyerke, my son (x3) |
| Tsu vos darfstu banai? (x2) | Why do you need sons? (x2) |
| - Banim oskim batorah, tatenyu. | - "Sons are devoted to the Torah", Father. |
| - Meyerke, mayn zun (x3) | - Meyerke, my son (x3) |
| Tsu vos darfstu chayai? (x2) | Why do you need life (x2) |
| - Kol hachayim yoducha, tatenyu. | "Everything alive will gratefully acknowledge You", Father |
| - Meyerke, mayn zun (x3) | - Meyerke, my son (x3) |
| Tsu vos darfstu mezoni? (x2) | Why do you need sustenance? (x2) |
| - Ve'achalta vesavata uverachta, tatenyu. | - "And you shall eat, and you shall be satisfied, and you shall bless", Father. |
* The father asks questions in Yiddish, and the son replies in Hebrew, quoting religious scriptures. In particular, the son asks for "banai, chayai, mezoni" [sons, life and sustenance] - Talmud, Mo'ed Katan, 28a - for an interpretation, scroll down to #3.